Morrie Brandon is the best horse trainer in Oklahoma, able to tame the wildest of beasts. She’s also the Celtic goddess of War and Sex, The Morrigan, abandoning her supernatural life for a simpler, more human one.
When Morrie is hired by a secretive Scottish family to capture a killer horse ravaging their Highlands manor, the past she has spent thousands of years running from calls her back.
Will Morrie learn from her past mistakes and embrace the bold goddess she truly is, or is it too late?
~ Bewitching BT

Excerpt

She’d heard the whistle before she noticed the man. Without even looking up, Morrie knew Kade approached her on his way home from town, whistling a slow, sad tune as he hiked. She could feel his presence.
As soon as he noticed her, that tune changed, a grin creeping at his lips.
“Told ya the ol’ girl didna like tae be gripped so hard,” Kade smirked, stopping in front of her.
Arms crossed, Morrie expressed her lack of amusement with a dull glare. “That’s not what happened. This rusted bucket of junk lost a wheel.”
“Ack, don’t speak o’ her so,” he chided, pulling his hands free of his coat pocket, frowning with fake concern. He sidled around to the driver side, inspecting the damage. “Tis’ nothing, I can fix her right up.”
Morrie jumped off the back and stood behind him as he crouched down beside the truck. Leaning his shoulder into the side, he lifted the truck up, giving enough space beneath the tire to straighten the wheel. Morrie’s eyes widened with surprise.
“It’s a lot lighter than it looks,” she said, impressed.
With the wheel corrected, Kade stood up and faced her, dusting his hands off. “Looks can often be deceiving, Morrie. And I’ll be takin’ tha ride now, if ye doona mind.”
“Not if you’re driving,” she replied dryly, tossing him the keys.
Once inside and chugging down the road, the truck’s cabin seemed much smaller than before. Kade’s body filled it like an occupying force.
Morrie kept her face free of expression as she watched the horizon, but still noted with an occasional glance the way Kade leaned back casually, his strong, tan hand hanging over the wheel while he rested his arm on the window. Out of the corner of her eye she could see him looking at her, watching her more often than the road.
“Are you determined to wreck us?” she asked.
“I know this road better than my own home,” he replied with a deep voice Morrie only then noticed had a way of vibrating her ribcage. “Doona worry yer bonnie head, lass. Ye’re safe wi’ me.”
“Somehow I doubt that.”
He chuckled, but she kept her face turned away from him, watching the landscape slowly pass by.
“Ye know, the shore’s a bit past the house on this road. There’s a great restaurant there right on the water. It’s about lunchtime anyway, what do ye say for stopping for a bite?”
“No, thank you.”
“They serve Dr. Pepper.”
She looked at him at that, knowing her face was bright and hopeful despite herself. He had one dark eyebrow quirked, waiting.
Opening her mouth to speak, Morrie struggled a moment longer with her basic urges before saying, “Well, I guess I am hungry.”
“I’m no’ too ashamed tae admit that hurt, Morrie.” Kade had his eyes back on the road, a smile playing at his full, soft lips, though his tone had been serious. “That a soda is more appealing tae ye than me.”
With her stunned gaze on him, a grin crept its way on her lips before she could hold it back, lightening her words.
“Well, it’s been two days since I’ve had any.”
“Ye could’ve had plenty last night had ye stayed in bed,” he quipped, his voice dropping seductively.
“Is everything about sex with you?” she asked, eyes wide.
“Canna help myself,” he muttered, a tone of genuine disbelief entering his voice. “When I’m around ye, I seem tae lose my mind.”
In a way, his admission was a surprising compliment, and Morrie couldn’t help smiling at it.
He frowned. “My god, is that a smile I see?” He made a show of looking at her, inspecting her face, which only made it harder for her to squelch the silly expression back down. “Doona hide it, Morrie, my dear, that’s the first time I’ve seen ye smile. It’s beautiful.”
“Don’t be silly,” she said, facing forward but her lips still upturned.
“Quite right, lass,” he adopted a playful serious tone. “Put that thing away, wouldna want the angels above tae cry with jealousy over its beauty.”
Morrie rolled her eyes and glanced at him.
Something odd happened inside of her, a weird sensation like she had been filled with warm, rich chocolate. Every time she looked at him, at that bright smile he flashed and the warmth in his eyes, it seemed to stir that molten feeling.
“Just speakin’ the truth.”
“You speak with too much familiarity.” She rested her head in her hand, watching him. He locked eyes with hers and somehow their chocolate depths darkened, his voice husky when he spoke.
“I really canna help it,” he answered. “I feel as though I know ye, as though I’ve known ye my whole life.”
She felt it, too, an odd and inexplicable connection that seemed to justify her sudden lust. And though the feeling was brief and fleeting, it sent a shock through her body.
Unable to think straight, Morrie sat up and looked out, hoping if she focused on the storm clouds rolling in, it would help relieve the strange sensations at play within her. Lips parted, she took a breath.
“How much farther?”
Kade cleared his throat. “Not much.”Thank the gods, Morrie thought. Another half mile and she might end up ordering Kade to pull over and take her there in the cow pastures.

Q&A

1. If you were to describd, what would it be?
Inescapable. The past, the fute your e-book/book in only one worure, the true nature of one’s self–fate is inescapable.

2. What would you say inspired you to write it?
I love mythology and I love the love-hate relationship. So while reading through one of my random books on mythology, I came across the story of the Morrigan and Cu Chulainn and it was just a perfect fit.

3. What was the source of inspiration for your protagonist? What about your antagonist?
They’re both based on mythological characters so their inherent inspiration was already created in legend, but to give them a place in the modern world, I looked to several actors and actresses. Morrie is heavily based, appearance-wise on the character, Nora, from True Blood. Kade sort of formed himself in my mind and is his own person.

4. Have you ever been hit by the infamous “writer’s block”? What did you do to escape it?
Oh, god, yes, too many times. If I just can’t make the words happen no matter what, I read. I just completely give up, shut the laptop and read. It usually breaks the block.

5. Your all time favorite book?
Is it contrived to say Pride & Prejudice? If it is, then Howl’s Moving Castle – I ADORE Howl and Sophie.

6. What made you pick that one above all others?
The heroine is a pragmatic, reasonable woman and the hero is a melodramatic, needy wizard who lives in a MOVING CASTLE!

7. Would you say becoming an author has changed you? In what way?
Yes, definitely. I think it’s made me more comfortable with who I am, proud with what I’ve accomplished, even if it means only one person has read my books. It’s given me an outlet for these thoughts in my head and it’s fun!

8. Was there ever a time, during your work on the e-book/book, when you felt like giving up? What made you change your mind? The Morrigan was a definite change for me. I’d only written YA before it and so trying out Adult Romance was intimidating and daunting. But I continued because at the end of the day, I really liked the characters, Morrie and Kade, and I wanted to tell their story.

9. How do you deal with bad reviews or acid criticism? What would you advise other authors to that effect?
I try to listen to what the reviews say and improve myself. There’s no avoiding getting hurt. This is something you’ve created and to have someone – a stranger – disparage it is difficult, but it can also be helpful. It makes you a stronger writer, if you let it.

10. Is this title part of a series? Without giving us spoilers, of course, what can we expect from the next e-books/books in the series?
It is, it’s the first of possibly many more. The Morrigan has three sisters and their stories will all be told. As I said before, I love mythology, particularly Greek and so I plan on writing something featuring that cast of troublemakers.

11. What do you have stored for us in the future? What are you working on/planning on next, aside this title/series?
I intend on publishing a YA novel about a teen girl who runs away from home after tragedy and after learning she’s a witch, returns home to face the consequences of her actions.

12. What made you decide to go the self-pub way?
There were only so many rejection letters and near-acceptances my heart could take. And the reasons for the rejections were never that satisfying – when they gave you a reason at all. And it was so disheartening being told “no” that I almost gave up. But then I started reading about self-publishing and all the writers that preferred it and all the control they had over it and ultimately, I just wanted to share my stories. I didn’t need to become the next Rowling or Meyer, I just wanted to see my words in print and self-publishing gave me that opportunity.

13. What would you say was the toughest part?
It was still new when I started, so the hardest part was just trying to figure it out. I’m a shy person and that spills over into the online world. Self-publishing is full of incredibly helpful fellow writers and they’re all so wonderfully well organized on boards and groups. But you have to join them and that took a lot of overcoming my own anxieties to do. So bit by bit, I would get the advice I needed to learn how to use KDP, LiberWriter, Smashwords, etc.

14. Did you hire professionals for editing, cover design, formatting?
Yes, for my cover. I found her about 3 years ago, on KindleBoards. She was just starting out and worked really well with me – offered fantastic service for a steal. She’s since increased her prices because she’s high in demand, but we still work really well together. For editing, I rely very heavily on my English teacher friends and avid reader friends and super smart friends. Formatting was all me just searching the dark and scary internet for a better way to do what I do.

15. How long did the production part take, from the moment you began working on the manuscript to self-pub to when you hit ‘Publish’?
About a year. This isn’t my main job, I have to work to support this for now and I always want to make sure what I put out there is the best possible work it can be. So it seems to usually run anywhere from 7 months to a year.

16. Where is your work being distributed, Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, AllRomanceEbooks/Omnilit, some other distributor? How did you decide which one(s) to go with?
Amazon and Smashwords – from there to B&N, iTunes, etc. Smashwords was where I first learned about self-publishing and Amazon has made it so easy – I was lucky to just fall onto those sites back when I first started.

17. If you were to recommend one article, blog, post, or book to someone hoping to self-pub, what would it be? On Writing by Stephen King only because it will be the greatest lesson you will ever learn to help become a better writer. Other than that, KindleBoards.com is great for engaging with other self-published writers and getting how-to advice. But the writing is the most important part – perfect that and the rest is just busy work.

18. In retrospect, what was the toughest part of self-pubbing? Was it the part that you thought would be toughest before embarking on this adventure?
Marketing and Social Media – because I’ve never been a salesman and I’m slightly socially inept, but it’s a very important part in creating and expanding your fan base.

19. What’s one characteristic of an author who self-publishes, one word that would describe them? Industrious.

Fun facts:

1. If you could wish for any one thing, and it would immediately come true, what would you wish for?
Should I say world peace? Because I’m kinda selfish. Queen – I would love to be QUEEN OF THE WORLD!!2. If you were stranded on an isolated island, what’s the one book you’d absolutely wish to have with you?
Boat Building for Dummies? Or maybe one of those books that tells you which plants you can eat and which ones are poisonous.3. Name your favorite fruit.
Orange4. Coffee or tea?
COFFEE!5. Favorite season?
Fall – it’s pretty and that’s when you can start to smell the fires in the fireplaces.6. How about fav time of 24 hours?
IF I’m up, just before sunrise.7. Were you a boyscout/girlscout?
Yes, I was a girl scout! I still remember how to build a fire (Won’t need that book on the island.)8. Favorite food for breakfast?
Toast.9. Latest book you’ve bought and read?
A bio on Thomas Jefferson – I’ve been on a weird American History kick lately.10. Do you collect things like stamps, or key chains, or shoes?
I collect books! I’m a book hoarder.11. Favorite color, you know you want to tell us!
Green!12. Drama or comedy?
Oooohh, comedy – I’m usually more in the mood to laugh.13. Have a fav quote or personal motto?
No, I have a terrible memory…14. Cats or dogs?
Both!15. Dinner by candlelight or a night out clubbing?
Both are kinda dangerous, how about with a couple of table lamps and tv trays?16. What song have you listened to most recently?
The acoustic version of Last Mile Home by Kings of Leon. It reminds me of my childhood in Oklahoma.17. What first came to mind after reading question no. 1 of the Fun Facts section? I mean that thing that you reconsidered after giving it more thought 😛
Never reconsidered! I MUST HAVE SUBJECTS TO DO MY BIDDING! (I’m not crazy, just a girl who knows her own mind 🙂 )

Full Disclosure:

1. Your top secret, uber guilty pleasure is…I love the TV show The Originals. And Austin & Ally. Yep, 37-yr old woman who loyally watches Austin & Ally and is super upset this is the last season. Don’t judge me.2. If you could choose to be someone else for just one day, it would be… Emma Thompson – she just always seems to be having so much fun.3. Your oldest memory is…For some reason, I have this odd memory of myself in my mother’s stomach, which was just a small cave in my mind, and I had a little record player that I’d play music on while waiting to get out. Also falling in the pool.4. If everyone would receive a prize for being best at something, you’d be no. 1 at… Asking questions. I’m quite the inquisitive creature.5. The one thing you’d do anything to avoid/get out of is…Going to one of those jewelry parties where you know, like, just the host and have to mingle with a bunch of strange women and make small talk. I’m not good at small talk.6. Your favorite part of a date is...I’ve been with my husband for nearly 13 yrs, my favorite part of the date is coming home to put on pajama pants and veg out in front of the TV.7. If a character from any book could become real and you could spend a day with them, it would be… from the book… Howl, Howl’s Moving Castle. And he could take me in his moving castle.8. You were/are a hardcore fan of…Neil Gaiman. I have his character, Delirium, tattooed on my arm.9. You’d immediately fall for someone who…looks like Rivers Cuomo of Weezer.10. The one thing you could/can never get over is…when someone says “irregardless” or “supposebly.” And animal cruelty – there is just no point in my book.11. If you could have any one superpower, it would be…telepathy? Telekinesis? Something with Tele in it because that always seems important.12. The one thing that always brightens your day is…seeing new pictures of my niece and nephews.13. The most awkward moment in your life happened when…I must have blocked it out.14. The awesomest thing in your life is…It would make my husband’s ego unbearable if I said him (even though it’s him) so I’ll say my dog, Barnabas-he’s a big, ol’ teddy bear.

Giveaway

About the Author & Links:

Kennan Reid traveled from the vast, open spaces of Texas to the vast, open ocean of California where she enjoys sitting outside in the sun, tossing a frisbee to her dog, Barnabas, and on occasion, writing a few words hoping one day they behave and become a book. When she’s not pretending to be a romance author, she is writing young adult novels about elves, witches and reincarnation. The Morrigan is her first adult romance novel and after falling in love with the feisty goddess and her crazy sisters, will not be her last.

Kennan also writes Young Adult as Kelly Riad. Other Novels include Return to Arèthane and Prince of Arèthane.

Haus Butterfly Crest xD

FTC Disclosure

The owner(s) of this blog is(are) often offered free copies to provide opinion on books. All such reviews are labeled “RBR” [review by request], i.e. the review has been requested by the author/publisher etc directly or indirectly (through NetGalley, Edelweiss, book tour) and I have been provided with a free review copy, marked as Source: review copy.
All reviews are entirely the reviewer's opinion, are not influenced by the review copy offered and no monetary compensations are accepted for them!